Re: M-TH: SACP statement on general strike

2000-05-27 Thread Chris Burford

At 15:11 25/05/00 -0400, you wrote:
>SACP salutes South African workers
>
>Workers in South Africa staged a general strike May 10 under the 
>leadership of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU). 
>Following is a statement issued by the South African Communist Party 
>(SACP) on the strike.
>
>* * * *
>
>All reports indicate massive and enthusiastic support for the general 
>strike against job losses and for job creation. The SACP salutes the South 
>African working class, under the revolutionary leadership of COSATU, for 
>today's actions.

I would be surprised if a trade union organisation could give revolutionary 
leadership.  But this does look a very pointed stance by the SACP against 
the ANC government.

They say the strike is in essence against capitalism, but there are no 
points made here about the IMF and the domination of global finance capital.

Mbeki will say very reasonably, that there is no alternative to the 
governments policies, while the South African economy is dependent on the 
credibility of the Rand in the eyes of the handlers of finance capital.

Can the SACP square this circle?

Chris Burford

London



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M-TH: SACP statement on general strike

2000-05-25 Thread Charles Brown

SACP salutes South African workers

Workers in South Africa staged a general strike May 10 under the leadership of the 
Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU). Following is a statement issued by 
the South African Communist Party (SACP) on the strike.

* * * *

All reports indicate massive and enthusiastic support for the general strike against 
job losses and for job creation. The SACP salutes the South African working class, 
under the revolutionary leadership of COSATU, for today's actions.

The success of the general strike is a clear and strong message to the bosses that 
they must meet the COSATU demands to stop job losses. It is also a strong and clear 
message to our African National Congress (ANC) government to take urgent steps to meet 
workers' demands for amendment of relevant legislation and reviewing our economic 
policies to create new, quality and sustainable jobs. Today's strike was also a 
conscious offensive against capitalism itself.


Tens of thousands of striking workers gather in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa 
May 10. The continuing bad economic news is pushing President Thabo Mbeki's goal of 
bettering the lives of South Africans still recovering from the racist apartheid 
regime further out of reach.






To those who think that the workers' struggle against job losses ended today, let them 
know not to underestimate the resilience, fighting spirit and anti-capitalist 
consciousness of the South African working class.

Millions of South African workers sacrificed more than R1.5 billion in wages today. We 
challenge government and the bosses to donate this money to COSATU's Job Creation 
Fund. This will be clear indication of their seriousness about job losses and job 
creation.

Further, we reiterate our calls for the following: 

* Convening of sectoral summits in the next three months to discuss how to stop 
retrenchments and create jobs in each sector of the economy 

* Reviewing our country's economic policies to boost job creation 

* The mobilization of domestic private and public capital (state assets and budgetary 
resources) for job creation through a state led industrial strategy 

* Defend, extend and strengthen the public sector - keep state assets in public hands

In conclusion, we call on COSATU, the ANC and other progressive organizations to 
convene People's Forums Against Job Losses between now and July. These forums must be 
held in townships, rural areas, informal settlements, the cities and wherever our 
people are in order to report back, consult our people and plan the way forward in 
transforming our economy in favor of the working class and the poor. In this regard, 
the SACP will mobilize its structures across the country to convene these people's 
forums.




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